Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post - I'm in the market for a used truck conversion but need advice

mxracin · 02-05-2005, 09:32 PM

Hi Matt,
Hope you make it home safe and sound. My brother has been over there for some time now, I hear it's not a lot of fun

.

There are a lot of different opinions on the length issue. I'm 72' (42' coach and 30' trailer) and have traveled through about half of the states without problem. Several guys I race with are even longer (one is 84'), and I don't know of anyone else that has had a problem. I do know of a factory support team that had their rig impounded, but they had it painted it up with sponsors and such, and the statie's didn't buy the "private coach" angle.

What I was told was that interstate commerce and DOT laws don't always apply; in the case of RV's your home state laws govern, and other states should have reciprocity statutes. I'm legal in my home state of NH, and I carry a copy of NH MV laws with me just in case.

I don't know of any comprehensive comparison source, but your options are kind of limited by your requirements and the size of the market. For the most part everyone builds on a Freightliner chassis. The Columbia is the most popular in the +28' catagory. Get it with the Meritor Freedom transmission, you won't be sorry. The Freightliner M2 is another popular chassis, but your towing requirements eliminate that as a possibility IMO.

Most conversion companies will build on the chassis of your choice, and I am seeing more and more Volvo's lately. I stuck with Freightliner because they have service depots everywhere (although a friend that is a Volvo tech was curious why Freightliner needs so many service depot's

) The builders just have more experience with Freightliner.

Once you select a chassis, the decision becomes more subjective. If you look at the floorplans of the top 5 or 6 builders you will find they are all quite similar. Everyone uses the same components, more or less, so the manufacturers flexibility and quality are the variables. You want more, you pay more. If you think you are buying your last conversion, one you will keep for several years, then spend a bit more and go for the quality and flexibility. Showhauler and Kingsley are two companies I consider in this catagory. If you are looking at a 2-3 year window, go for one of the more mainstream builders like Renegade, United Specialties NRC or Haulmark.

Don't expect the higher end converions to fare better in the resale department, though. The resale market is pretty much blind to quality; features and capability add more to the bottom line. For best resale, and to reach the widest market, go for the largest genset you can justify, the best towing and the auto trans. From my search of the used market, fully loaded middle-of-the-road coaches fare better than stripped down coaches from high end builders.

Good luck with you purchase!

02-05-2005, 09:32 PM	#5
mxracin Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 13	Hi Matt, Hope you make it home safe and sound. My brother has been over there for some time now, I hear it's not a lot of fun . There are a lot of different opinions on the length issue. I'm 72' (42' coach and 30' trailer) and have traveled through about half of the states without problem. Several guys I race with are even longer (one is 84'), and I don't know of anyone else that has had a problem. I do know of a factory support team that had their rig impounded, but they had it painted it up with sponsors and such, and the statie's didn't buy the "private coach" angle. What I was told was that interstate commerce and DOT laws don't always apply; in the case of RV's your home state laws govern, and other states should have reciprocity statutes. I'm legal in my home state of NH, and I carry a copy of NH MV laws with me just in case. I don't know of any comprehensive comparison source, but your options are kind of limited by your requirements and the size of the market. For the most part everyone builds on a Freightliner chassis. The Columbia is the most popular in the +28' catagory. Get it with the Meritor Freedom transmission, you won't be sorry. The Freightliner M2 is another popular chassis, but your towing requirements eliminate that as a possibility IMO. Most conversion companies will build on the chassis of your choice, and I am seeing more and more Volvo's lately. I stuck with Freightliner because they have service depots everywhere (although a friend that is a Volvo tech was curious why Freightliner needs so many service depot's ) The builders just have more experience with Freightliner. Once you select a chassis, the decision becomes more subjective. If you look at the floorplans of the top 5 or 6 builders you will find they are all quite similar. Everyone uses the same components, more or less, so the manufacturers flexibility and quality are the variables. You want more, you pay more. If you think you are buying your last conversion, one you will keep for several years, then spend a bit more and go for the quality and flexibility. Showhauler and Kingsley are two companies I consider in this catagory. If you are looking at a 2-3 year window, go for one of the more mainstream builders like Renegade, United Specialties NRC or Haulmark. Don't expect the higher end converions to fare better in the resale department, though. The resale market is pretty much blind to quality; features and capability add more to the bottom line. For best resale, and to reach the widest market, go for the largest genset you can justify, the best towing and the auto trans. From my search of the used market, fully loaded middle-of-the-road coaches fare better than stripped down coaches from high end builders. Good luck with you purchase!